What pressure should I serve lager at?

[Jim my]

I have brewed a Bock which I would like to serve from a corny keg with bubbles visibly streaming up in the glass. I will be serving at 11C at just wondered what pressure I should use for a nicely carbonated lager?
Cheers, Jim.

[kev93_10]

How long and what diameter are your beer lines?

Also, the type of glass used will alter appearance massively. Make sure you get one with nucleation points on the bottom.

K

[Jim my]

Hello Kev, I have 5 metres of 3/16 beer line which I will cut to length and dedicate to lagers when I have decided on a serving pressure. I never thought about the type of glass.

[Secla]

You should force carbonate and serve at the same pressure. So a lager is around 2.5 volumes of co2. At 11 degrees that's around 18psi
You can then calculate length of line required from there depending on your dispensing setup, there's plenty of calculators online to work it out

[Jim my]

You should force carbonate and serve at the same pressure. So a lager is around 2.5 volumes of co2. At 11 degrees that's around 18psi
You can then calculate length of line required from there depending on your dispensing setup, there's plenty of calculators online to work it out

Thanks Secla, 18 psi it is then.
Hopefully it'll be carbonated for Christmas

[Secla]

Can take some trial and error to get line length right, but as I said online calculators are available and will get you in the ball park.
If you havnt got one already do a quick search and get a carbonation chart and search different carbonation levels for beer styles. Carb at the same temp and pressure as you want to serve at

[Jim my]

Can take some trial and error to get line length right, but as I said online calculators are available and will get you in the ball park.
If you havnt got one already do a quick search and get a carbonation chart and search different carbonation levels for beer styles. Carb at the same temp and pressure as you want to serve at

That's great, thank you. I'll search for a carbonation chart
I may invest in a regulator that I can put in my gas line, I can serve two kegs at different pressures then.

[MTW]

Can take some trial and error to get line length right, but as I said online calculators are available and will get you in the ball park.
If you havnt got one already do a quick search and get a carbonation chart and search different carbonation levels for beer styles. Carb at the same temp and pressure as you want to serve at

That's great, thank you. I'll search for a carbonation chart
I may invest in a regulator that I can put in my gas line, I can serve two kegs at different pressures then.

Here's your carbonation chart

By the way, you don't have to carbonate at serving pressure. It's not like a pub, or even a homebrewer with a kegerator with taps on it, will change the length of line every time they connect a beer that is carbonated differently to the last. You can let your length of line (and height of tap above keg) dictate the serving pressure, probably constructed to handle the fizziest beer you may wish to connect, releasing (or in a big setup, even adding) some gas for serving, having carbonated the beer as per the chart. After a session though, you're probably best to reset the pressure.

[Jim my]

Here's your carbonation chart

By the way, you don't have to carbonate at serving pressure. It's not like a pub, or even a homebrewer with a kegerator with taps on it, will change the length of line every time they connect a beer that is carbonated differently to the last. You can let your length of line (and height of tap above keg) dictate the serving pressure, probably constructed to handle the fizziest beer you may wish to connect, releasing (or in a big setup, even adding) some gas for serving, having carbonated the beer as per the chart. After a session though, you're probably best to reset the pressure as per the chart.

That's great, thanks for your help. That's a handy chart, i'll bookmark it.

[Secla]

As said you can adjust pressure for serving but revert back to carb pressure for storing
Tbh. I find it more of a hassle though

[Jim my]

As said you can adjust pressure for serving but revert back to carb pressure for storing
Tbh. I find it more of a hassle though

Thanks Secla. I'd probably forget to revert the pressure back after a few jars

[Secla]

Same problem here
Set and forget is the way I go